Cameron Firth Partner

Cameron is an anti-trust lawyer with over 15 years’ experience practising all aspects of antitrust law in the UK and the EU. Cameron regularly represents a wide range of clients before the UK Competition & Markets Authority and the European Commission, as well as before the English and European Courts.

Cameron advises clients on the full range of antitrust law issues, including:

obtaining merger control clearances from regulators throughout the world;

dawn raids and inspections undertaken by the UK and EU regulators;

investigations (both by regulators and internal) in relation to anti-trust compliance; and

providing advice and guidance on anti-trust and state aid compliance for both dominant and non-dominant companies.

Cameron has extensive experience of antitrust and regulatory litigation before the English Courts and the European Courts in relation to antitrust and regulatory issues, including cartel damages cases, having represented parties claiming damages as well as parties defending such claims.

Cameron has particular expertise in the application of antitrust law in the retail / consumer sector as well as the application of both antitrust law and IP / regulatory law in the pharmaceutical and media / telecoms / broadcasting sectors.

Cameron has a BA (Hons) in Law from the University of Cambridge and a Masters in European Law from the Institute of European Studies, University of Brussels. Cameron also has experience of working for the regulator, having worked for DG Competition.

Expertise

Recent work

Hain Celestial

Obtaining an early Phase I merger control clearance from the UK CMA for Hain Celestial’s acquisition of Yorkshire Provender, combining it with their New Covent Garden soup business.

Associated British Foods plc

Obtaining merger control clearances for a number of acquisitions by Associated British Foods plc, including Phase II clearance from the European Commission for the acquisition of GBI Yeast and Phase I clearance from the UK CMA for the acquisition of Dorset Cereals, combining it with their Jordans Ryvita cereals business.

Arrow Generics, Actavis UK

Advising on the first ever cases in the EU finding that patent settlement agreements constitute a restriction of competition, namely: 1) Arrow Generics re: citalopram, currently before the Court of Justice in Luxembourg; and 2) Actavis UK re: paroxetine, currently on appeal before the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal.

Actavis UK / Auden Mckenzie

Prysmian

Advising Prysmian in connection with various sets of follow-on damages claims before the English High Court arising from the European Commission’s power cables cartel decision.

Qantas

Advising Qantas in connection with the co-ordination of its defence to multiple follow-on damages claims before the English High Court, arising from the European Commission’s airfreight cartel decision, and parallel proceedings in Germany and The Netherlands.

BBC

Advising the BBC in connection with the spin-off of its production business into a new commercial subsidiary, BBC Studios, and ensuring compliance with state aid and fair trading rules.